Adjustable valve seal or the like



April 25, 1950 F. J. LEE

ADJUSTABLE VALVE SEAL 0R THE LIKE Filed June 1, 1945 (el. 100 s@arrow/ey;

Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED s TATE-s Fries i ADJUSTABLE VALVE SEAL .0RTHELIKE 'FloydI.l.`Lee, Pasadena, vCalif.

Application Jumell, 1945, SerialNo. 597,142

yMy invention relates to adjustable valve` seals and more particularlytosealing means and devices, which are adapted for preventing the fluid,storedY or left in a i'dischargepipe or a hose, from leaking and inaddition for providing means with which to insurelan instantaneous and aconstant fluidflow through and from said discharge hose, and-formaintaining said iluid now at apressure, whentsaid valve is opened.

.In valvesfparticularly of the type usedin lire fighting apparatus, andywhere a water hose maintainedconnected for-an instant use, the ilo-wofwaterA is delayed andretardedbecause said hose is empty, also, theaccumulation ofdust or `sedi-- ment insaidhoseprevents the water fromliowing freely,.and.in addition, said hOSaparticular-ly of the type madeout of rubber or similar composi-I tion,-becomes deteriorated, ywhich isdue to the atmospheric action, causing it to dry .when left emptyfor-anylength of time vand causing to crack, which eventually causes leaks.

.Accordingly an object of my `invention vis to provide a valve sealwhich is ofsuch construction which will permit the ,water Vto remain .insaid hose at all times vand at the same time to permit its use,instantaneously, in case of .an emergency, allowing it to pass, .at.iullpressura through saidllose and its nozzle, Vwhenthevalve is opened.

suitable valve seal, which is positioned at the valve Acontrol stemmember, so that the fluid, When stored or remaining ,at `the dischargeend of said valve, will be prevented from leaking around said .valvestem.

, Aurther object of myinvention isztoprovide a suitable valve stemsealing meansin a valve, Whichiis of such construction whereby'theiluid,when vstored or lefttand'kept in the discharge pipe or Ja hose, islprevented from leaking, and

alsofor allowing said valve 'stern'to lbe'released instantaneously, whenthe valve is opened, `and thereby providing an instantaneous uid flowthrough said .discharge pipe or hosejinease of an emergency.

'Another objectofmy invention istoprovide aseale'd valve, ysaid valvehaving 'a huid inlet pipe provided with arevolvable Apipeiointmeans for'allowing said valve to' be turned around in any direction, also,'saidvalve having `a uid dis charge pipe equipped with a suitable nozzle, theposition of which islnormallyatlthie level'vvith said" valve andtherebyirzermitting the :liu-id "to vbe stored therein and in said hose, `which'prevents said "hose from `becoming dried, ycracked and eventuallydeteriorated, and also for providing an instantaneous iluid flow throughsaid nozzle of said hose and at full pressure, when said valve .isopened.

A further object of my invention is to provide said valve with a,suitable valve control means, which is adapted for opening said valveinstantaneously, and thereby permitting the fluid, under pressure, topass therethrough and at `no loss of time whatsoever, in case of anemergency.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention as willhereinaftermore fully appear, I attain by the construction herein shownon the drawings and described in the specicam tion, forming a part of myapplication.

Reference now being had to the accompanying drawings, in which thesimilar reference characters denote the same parts.

In the drawings;

Fig. l shows the fragmentary sectional and partly elevational View ofthe valve and its inlet connection, also showing a partial view of thedischarge. hose and its nozzle, including the valve controlling andsealing means.

Fig. 2 shows a vertical sectional view of a valve partly fragmentary,also showing the valve control and the valve sealing means associatedtherewith.

Fig. 3 shows the end elevational view oi the valve, taken from the rightoi the Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows the bottom view of the valve,

` showing the position ci the stem sealing means,

Describing my invention more in detail, its broader aspects, saidinvention comprises a valve, generally designated by numeral 2, whichisfmounted upon a wall i of a, suitable cabinet t, andwhich is heldthereon lby means of mounting flange 7.

lThe valvefZ is provided with an intake port 8 which connects 'with aSuitable intake connection it, to which an intake pipe vl2 is connected,and which is supported in its position by means of a bracket I4.

Said intake pipe l2 is also provided with a suitable swingjoint memberit which connects with an inflow pipe i8, so that sai-:l vali/e2including said cabinet t may be swung around in any desired direction,when required.

Said valve 2 is also provided with an outlet 29 which connects with adischarge nipple 22, to which a suitable flexible `hose 2t is connected,the length 0f which may be provided for covering any desired distance asin practicevmay be most desirable, havingrits end 2t terminating with anozzle member 28 which is provided with a stream or spray connection 30,as shown.

The valve 2 comprises a housing 32, having an inow seat 34 which isadapted for receiving therein a suitable valve sealing disc member 36.

The disc member 36 is provided with a stem member 38 which extendsdownwardly and is also provided with a resilient packing ring 40, andwhich is adapted for sealing the recess 42 of the valve plug'member 44,when the valve is opened, as shown in dotted lines, in Fig. 2.

Said valve plug member 44 is held in place and is mounted in saidhousing 32 by means of the threaded section 46, and, at its centersection a suitable hole or passage 48 is provided adapted for receivingand for guiding therethrough the end section 50 of said stem member 38,while the outer surface section 52 of said plug member 44 is providedwith a circular groove 54 adapted for mounting therein a suitablesealing ring 56, and which, in its preferred position, is disposed inclose proximity to said passage 48, and is also so arranged, whereby itssurface or edge 58 is allowed to extend partially and over said surfacesection 52, the purpose of which will be presently described.

Said housing 32 is also provided with a bracket 68 which extendsdownwardly and terminates with a yoke 62 having a suitable locking barmember 64 pivotally mounted therein upon a pivot pin 66, as shown.

At the opposite side of said housing 32 a suitable valve control member68 is mounted, which comprises a pair of side bars 16, lying parallel toeach other and held together by means of rivets 'I2 or the like,disposed at the upper end 1li thereof, while their lower end 16 isprovided with a roller 78 held in place by means of a roller pin 86,which is pinned thereover at the ends, thus providing a very rigidconstruction, as shown in Fig. 3.

When assembled, said control member 68 is so arranged, whereby its sidebars 'i6 and at the central section 82 thereof, straddle the valveoutlet 26, whereon said side bars 18 are held in a pivotal position bymeans of pivot pins 86, thus providing a pivotal movement for saidcontrol member 68, as shown in dotted lines, in Fig, 2.

Said locking bar member 64 extends frontwardly, the end of which, as at86, is provided with a cam 68 adapted for engaging said roller 'i8 whensaid control member 68 is in its normal vertical position, also, saidbar member 64, at its center section is provided with a suitable recess98 which is adapted for housing therein a ring plate 92 and which isheld in position by means of a suitable set screw member 94, having itsend 96 adapted for engaging the end section 50 of said stem member 3.8.

The upper end 54 of said control member 68 is provided with an extension95, having a hole 96 adapted for receiving therein a looped cable 98,the end of which is threaded through a pulley 66 mounted upon said wall4 and having its extended end |62 extending frontwardly, so that saidvalve 2 may be operated manually or automatically, by some othersuitable means.

When said valve 2 is in operation, said valve disc 36 rests within saidseat 34, the position of which is supported by means of said set screw94, the end of which bears against the stem end 56, so that a positiveseal may be had against the fluid pressure passing into and through saidintake pipe I2.

And, when said valve control member 68 is tilted, as shown in Fig. 3,and the roller 18 releases the cam 88 from its locked position on saidlocking bar 64, then said disc 36 is forced downwardly and drops to thebottom allowing the packing ring 40 to rest upon the recess 42 andcausing said ring to seal the passage 48 around said stem 38 andpermitting the fluid, under pressure, to pass into the outlet 20 of saidvalve, then through said hose 24 and finally into and through the nozzle28.

In order to re-set the seal disc member 36 of said valve, the stem 38 ispushed upwardly, then the locking bar 64 is raised into its normallyhorizontal position; allowing the end of said set screw 94 to bearagainst the stem end 50, whereupon the roller 18 of said valve controlmember 68 in bearing upon said cam 88, causes said disc 36 to seal theiiow.

In the event said disc 36 is not properly seated, when said locking bar64 is placed and held in position, then the set screw 94 may be employedby screwing it upwardly and against said stem end 56, and therebypreventing leakage through said valve.

Also, to prevent the fluid leakage from said valve, and from the outletpassage 20 thereof and around said stem 38 including said hole 48, whensaid disc 36 is in its seated position, then the knurled ring plate 92is employed, which may be screwed tight against the edge 58 of saidsealing ring 56, and thereby sealing said valve entirely.

In sealing said valve 2, in the manner herein described, will in no waywhatsoever, impair the instantaneous operation thereof, and thesensitivity of the operation of said valve can always be dependable uponthe particular positions of the roller 18 in relation to the cam 88 ofsaid locking bar member 64.

Therefore, a quantity of water or iiuid may be left in said hose 24, sothat it may remain full at all times, having the nozzle 28 mounted in aposition, so that the nozzle connection 36 may be maintained slightlyabove said valve 2, in order to prevent uid leakage therefrom, and inthis manner providing means for preventing said hose from becomingcracked, or subjected to the action of the atmosphere, anddeteriorating.

Then in case of an emergency, when said nozzle 28 is pulled from itsmounted position, and said hose 24 is extended its full length, thefluid or water, so maintained in said hose is brought to the fire or aplace of conagration, Within a fraction of a time, and said valve maythen be opened, by pulling on said extended end of said cable |02, whichreleases said locking bar member 64 and permitting said sealing discmember 36 to release the fluid, iiowing at a pressure provided at thesource of supply.

Also, it may be noted, that an automatic feature may be used andemployed in opening said valve 2 and operating simultaneously when saidnozzle 28 is removed from its mounted position, thus causing the fluid,under pressure to be released instantaneously, while and during the timesaid hose 24 is being extended and brought forward, which addsconsiderably to the efficiency of the re fighting apparatus, andeliminating the delay, otherwise unavoidable.

While I have thus described my invention with great particularity, itwill be clear that the same may be modified throughout a wide range.

I accordingly do not propose to be limited to the exact details ofconstruction herein shown on the drawings and described in thespecication, but reserve the rights, in practice, to make the necessarychanges and modications therein,

which may come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A valve, comprising a housing having a passage connecting an inletopening and outlet opening and having a valve seat between the inlet andoutlet openings, a sealing disc means in said housing for contactingsaid seat and sealing the passage between said inlet and outlet openingsof said housing, a stem means extending out of said disc means, a plugmember means in said housing for holding the end of said stem means inposition, a sealing ring means at the outer section of said plug memberand in close prox imity to and around the end of said stem means,

a locking bar means hingedly connected to said housing for engaging theend of said stem means and for holding said sealing disc means in itssealing position, a tiltable control means mounted on said housing andengaging said last mentioned means for controlling the position of saiddisc means and for instantaneously releasing same from its position whentilted, and ring plate means in said locking bar means for engaging saidsealing ring means and for sealing the fluid leakage around the end ofsaid stem means, when said disc means is in its sealed position.

2. In a valve of the class described as disclosed in claim 1 wherein acam means is provided at the end of said locking bar means, and a rollermeans mounted in said tiltable control means for engaging said cammeans, whereby an instantaneous release of said locking bar may besecured when said control means is tilted.

3. In a valve of the class described as disclosed in claim 1 wherein anadjusting set screw is provided in said locking bar means for engaging'the stem of said sealing disc means and for holding same in its sealedposition.

` inlet opening and outlet opening, a sealing disk means in said housingfor engaging said valve seat and sealing the passage between said inletopening and outlet opening of said housing, a stem means extending fromsaid disk means through said housing, a sealing ring means at theexterior of said housing positioned in close proximity to and around theend of said stem means, a locking bar means hinged to said housing forengaging the end of said stem means and for holding said sealingdisk'means in a sealing position, a tiltable control means mounted onsaid housing and engaging the last-mentioned means for rapid releasethereof, and a ring plate means in said locking bar means for engagingsaid sealing ring and for sealing the fluid leakage around the end ofsaid stem means, when said stem means is in its sealed position.

FLOYD J. LEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis (patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 650,179 Knox May 22, 19001,606,191 Siebenmann Nov. 9, 1926 1,996,489 Phillips Apr. 2, 1935

